Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Nucleotide Structure
A nucleotide is composed of three main components: a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and one or more phosphate groups. The nitrogenous base can be adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil, depending on whether the nucleotide is DNA or RNA. Understanding the structure of these components is essential for drawing the nucleotide and linking them correctly.
Recommended video:
Phosphodiester Bond Formation
Nucleotides are linked together through phosphodiester bonds, which form between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the hydroxyl group of the sugar of another. This linkage results in the formation of a sugar-phosphate backbone in nucleic acids. During this process, a molecule of water (H2O) is removed, a reaction known as dehydration synthesis.
Recommended video:
Formation of Plant Gametes
Dehydration Synthesis
Dehydration synthesis is a chemical reaction that involves the removal of water to form a new bond between molecules. In the context of nucleotides, this process occurs when forming phosphodiester bonds, where a hydroxyl group from the sugar and a hydrogen from the phosphate group are removed, resulting in the release of water. This reaction is crucial for building larger macromolecules like DNA and RNA.
Recommended video:
1:59 minutes
06:25
